Garment closure



June 7, 1966 J. PLAVIN 3,254,384

GARMENT CLOSURE Filed Nov. 16, 1964 INVENTOR. J05 EPH PLAVIN United States Patent 3,254,384 GARMENT CLOSURE Joseph Plavin, Flushing, N.Y. Able Slide Fastener Corp., 256 W. 36th St., New York 18, N.Y.) Filed Nov. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 411,537

2 Claims. (Cl. 24-20511) This invention relates to a garment closure including a slide fastener and a separable top coupling.

In the construction of clothing, slide fasteners of numerous well-known and commercially available types are used for drawing together the edges of a slit in an article of clothing. For example, it is common to use a slide fastener to draw together the edges of a slitin the back of a womans dress, or to draw together a vertical slit in the waistband of a womans skirt. In connection with the mentioned usage of slide fasteners, it has also been common to provide a hook and eye on the article of clothing at the top of the slide fastener, which couples to bridge -the top of the slit. The hook and eye prevents edges of the article of clothing at the top of the slit from pulling apart and prevents opening tension from being applied to the top of the slide fastener.

It is a primary object of my invention to provide a new and improved garment closure including a slide fastener and a separable top coupling, wherein the top coupling by virtue of a novel construction comprises two elements which are easier for a person to mate or sep arate.

It is a further object of my invent-ion to provide a new and improved garment closure of the type described including a slide fastener and a separable top coupling, wherein the mating elements of the top coupling are easy to join or disconnect even when located on an article of womans clothing at a relatively inaccessible position which cannot be observed by the woman donning her clothing, as for example on the back of a dress at the neckline.

It is another object of my invention to provide a new and improved garment closure of the type described including a slide fastener and a separable top coupling,

wherein the normal forces exerted on the edges of the article of clothing which define the slit do not tend to open the top coupling. The converse is often true in standard separable top couplings. For example, if the coupling comprises a hook and eye, very often by virtue of the natural movement of a woman, at one moment slack in this area of her garment around the slit will cause the tip of the hook to withdraw from the eye, and at a later moment tension exerted on the hook and eye moves the hook away from the eye so that the coupling is disconnected. Further, if the coupling comprises a snap including mating male and female elements, force on such a snap in a direction transverse to the slit will often pop such a snap open. By virtue of the construction of my separable top coupling, such forces either in tension or compression in a direction transverse to the length of the slit do not tend to open the coupling.

It is a further object of my invention to. provide a new and improved garment closure of the type described including a slide fastener and a separable top coupling, wherein it is not necessary to draw the mating elements of the coupling more closely together than their final interlocking position. It will be recalled that in a hook and eye coupling, the hook comprises a shank, a retroverted tip, and a bight joining the tip to the shank. To enable a person to insert-the hook into the eye, these components (and the garment edges on which they are mounted) must be drawn closely enough together to enable the tip of the hook to be inserted through the eye after which the hook and eye are allowed to separateso 3,254,384 Patented June 7, 1966 ice that the bight of the hook pulls against the outer-mostportion of the rim of the eye. Thus, to couple the hook and eye, it is necessary to draw the hook and eye together in a direction generally transverse to the length of the slit beyond the position in which the hook and eye when connected come to rest. With my top coupling, no such movement beyond the final interlocking position of the mating elements is necessary.

It is yet a further object of my invention to provide a garment closure of the type described including a slide fastener and'a separable top coupling wherein the elements of the top coupling are mass producible and inexpensive, and can be readily and quickly integrated with a conventional slide fastener.

In accordance with the teaching of my invention, I provide a garment closure having as its prime utility the effort-free closing of a slit in a womans article of clothing. The garment closure includes a slide fastener and a separable top coupling. The slide fastener is of any conventional type and includes a pair of similar opposed stringers, each of these stringers comprising a tape which can be readily sewn to the edges'defining a slit in an article of clothing and a bead along one edge of the stringer to which a rack of teeth are fixed. The slide fastener further includes a slide engaging the teeth racks and movable substantially along a linear path of travel parallel to the length of the slit for either interlocking or separating the teeth racks from one another.

In connection with such conventional slide'fastener, I provide a separable top coupling which is also fixed to the tapes and is located at a point distant from the ends of the teeth racks at the top of the slide fastener. The top coupling comprises two mating elements, one of the elements being in the form of a pintle and the other in the form of a sleeve to receive the pintle. The longitudinal axes of the pintle and sleeve are mutually parallel to the linear path of travel of the slide of the slide fas tener. Thus, when the pintle is to be inserted into the sleeve, the elements are first drawn closely together to a position with the pintle in axial registry with the sleeve and then the pintle and sleeve are relatively moved in a path of travel parallel to the path of travel of the slide until the pintle is received in the sleeve. In a similar manner, when it is desired to detach the'elements of the coupling, the pintle is moved in'an axial direction relatively away from the sleeve.

With the aforementioned construction of the mating elements of my separable top coupling, said elements and the stringers to which they are fixed need never be drawn transversely past one another beyond their final interlocked position. This is a valuable feature because when closing of a slit in an article of clothing causes said article to fit a person snugly, movement of the coupling elements beyond their interlocked position tends to pinch the persons body and puts an excessive strain on the clothing itself. Because my pintle and sleeve elements are interlocked by movement first to an axiallyregistered position and then movement in a direction parallel to the path of travel of the slide, such pinching effect on the persons body and strain on the clothing are obviated. Further, since the elements are uncoupled by movement thereof only in a direction parallel to the path of travel of the slide, pressures exerted on the garment adjacent the slit, in a direction transverse to the length of the slit, can never cause the coupling to become undone so as to embarrass the wearer.

Other objects of my invention in part will be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

My invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the garment closure hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown one of the various possible embodiments of my invention,

FIG. 1 is a front elevational fragmentary view of my garment closure attached to the edges of a garment, which edges define a slit in an article of womans clothing;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional views of the top coupling which is a component of the garment closure taken, respectively, substantially along the lines 22 and 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the pintle and sleeve elements which comprise the top coupling.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral denotes a garment closure which is utilized to draw together the edges 12 of an article of clothing 14. The edges 12 define a long slit 16 in said article of clothing. The slit opening 16 may occur, for example, at the back of a womans dress at the neck, or at the waistband of a skirt or pair of slacks.

The garment closure 10 comprises a separable top coupling and a slide fastener 18. The slide fastener may be any one of numerous well-known and commercially available types, and typically includes a pair of parallel opposed stringers 20, each running the length of the slit along different edges thereof. Said stringers are mirror images of one another and each includes an elongated flexible tape 22 usually made of fabric. Each tape 22 is secured along a different edge 12 of the article of clothing 14 as by a line of stitching 24 which passes through overlapping borders of the tape and the garment. Each of the tapes 22 has a bead 26 running along its inside edge, each bead being of similar thickened cross-section.

Each stringer further includes a teeth rack 28, the teeth racks being parallel and opposed from one another, and each teeth rack being formed from a plurality of spaced intercouplable teeth which grip anaffiliated bead 26. A slider 30 is mounted for reciprocal movement along and in engagement with the teeth racks 28 and can be grasped by a woman by a suitable pull tab 32 which is swingably connected thereto.

One set of ends of the stringers 20, the set distant from the top of the garment, are permanently joined by permanently bridging bottom stop 34, it being understood that the use of a disengageable bottom stop is within the scope of my invention. By pulling on the tab 32 towards the bottom stop 34 and away from the top of the slit opening 16, the slider is moved along the teeth racks 28 in a substantially linear path of travel and as it so moves, it unlocks and separates the teeth racks from one another so that the stringers 2.0 and hence the edges 12 of the garment are free to be pulled apart. Conversely, when the slider 30 is moved away from the bottom stop 34 and towards the free ends of the stringers 20, the slider interlocks the teeth racks in its linear path of travel so as to draw the edges 12 of the garment together. To limit the upper travel of the slide 30 on the teeth racks 28 so that the slider does not come off said teeth racks, a top stop is provided which comprises two enlarged abutments 36 each fastened to a diflferent bead 26 at approximately transversely registered locations, immediately above the topmost tooth of the affiliated teeth rack 28.

To cooperate with the slide fastener 18, I provide a separable top coupling, generally designated by the reference numeral 40. The top coupling is used to selectively join the top free ends of the stringers 20 and is carried by the stringers at a location a short distance, e.g. to /2 inch above the top stop. The separable top coupling comprises two mating elements, one of said elements including a pintle 42 and the other of said elements including a sleeve 44. The pintle and sleeve elements can be formed by casting from any deformable yet self-formmaintaining metal, such as a zinc or aluminum die cast- Cal ing alloy. Further, the elements may be suitably formed from a synthetic thermoplastic in which case they can be heated to their deforming point and crimped about their respective beads by heating jaws and then cooled to maintain a set gripping relationship with their beads. If desired, a suitable thermoplastic can be heated to its melting point and the plastic can be forced to flow and impregnate the bead and tape material and then be cooled to set in gripping relationship. The plastic may also be thermosetting as well as thermoplastic, and in both such events the elements can be fastened to the beads by a conventional adhesive.

The pintle 42 is an elongated cylinder of constant cross section which is in one piece with a gripping jaw 46. The top end of the pintle 42, ie the end of the pintle farthest from the slide fastener is connected to the gripping jaw 46 by a bridge 48. Said gripping jaw 46 comprises two substantially parallel rearwardly protruding legs 50 which on their inner facing edges carry spaced teeth 52 that securely grip a bead (see FIG. 3). The teeth may optionally be interrupted between their ends as at 53 so as to prevent shifting of the elements along the bead.

The sleeve 44 is also in one piece with a gripping jaw 54. The jaw 54 is of substantially the same configuration as the jaw 46 on the pintle element.

Both gripping jaws 46, 54 are crimped upon so as to securely grip the opposed beads (see FIG. 3). Both gripping jaws 46, 54 and thus the pintle and sleeve elements 42, 44 are located at transversely registered positions adjacent the top of the slit 16 (see FIG. 1). The gripping jaw 54 of the sleeve element differs from the gripping jaw 46 of the pintle element in that the web 55 of the former, which interconnects the legs of the jaw, has a step 57 (see FIG. 4) that faces the jaw. The step is approximately half way between the top and bottom surfaces of the web. The stepped configuration of the web permits the legs to be crimped without failure of the legs or web.

The sleeve 44 has a through bore 56 which nicely slidably receives the pintle 42 without excessive play. The pintle 42 is spaced sufficiently away from the web of the gripping jaw 46 by the bridge 48 so as to permit the wall of the sleeve 44 to be interposed between the pintle and the gripping jaw.

When the pintle and sleeve are mounted on their respective beads and coupled, the axis of the pintle 42 and the axis of the bore 56 of the sleeve 44 are coincident and mutually parallel to the linear path of travel of the slide 30 as well as the length of the slit 16. To couple the pintle 42 to the sleeve 44, these elements are first brought into axial registry with the pintle 42 above the sleeve 44. The pintle 42 is then dropped into and partially protrudes beyond the sleeve 44 as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

During said coupling movement, the respective elements of the top coupling need never be drawn more closely together than their final interlocking position. Thus, there is no necessity for putting an excessive strain on the edges 12 of the garment or squeezing the body of the wearer as is the case when a hook and eye are used on a snugly fitting garment. Further, since the two elements of the separable top coupling can be disengaged only by movement of the elements thereof in a direction away from one another and parallel to the linear path of travel of the slide 30, normal tension and compression forces exerted on the edges of the garment in a direction transverse to the length of the slit will never tend to pull the coupling part. Because of the relatively small movement needed to couple the elements, it has been found that the top coupling can be easily and quickly joined by a woman, even when the top coupling is located at a position on a garment where it is relatively inaccessible and where it cannot be directly observed by a woman as she dons her clothes.

The top coupling, while featuring ease of joining and separation, yet carries out its conventional function of bridging the tops of the stringers so that spreading pressure cannot be exerted on the slide fastener, which pressure would tend to open the slide fastener and cause annoyance and embarrassment to the wearer of the article of clothing.

It thus will be seen that I have provided a garment closure which achieves the several objects of my invention and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various charges might be made in the embodiment set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A garment closure comprising a slide fastener and a separable top coupling, said slide fastener including a pair of opposed stringers having free top ends, each stringer constituting a tape adapted to be attached to an edge of a garment opening, a bead running along a margin of the tape and a teeth rack fixed to said bead, a slider received by said teeth racks and movable along a substantially linear path of travel for selectively interlocking and unlocking said teeth racks, and a top stop at the free top ends of the teeth racks for limiting travel of the slider, the coupling selectively connecting the free top ends of the stringers and being spaced from the top stop, said coupling including mating pintle and sleeve elements, and means fixing each of said elements to a different bead at adjacent transversely registered locations, the longitudinal axes of said elements being mutually parallel to said linear path of travel and the pintle element being selectively insertable into and withdrawable from the sleeve element by movement thereof parallel to said path of travel of the slider, the means fixing the sleeve element to 6 the bead comprising a jaw in one piece with the sleeve element, said jaw including spaced protruding legs gripping the bead of the stringer and a stepped web interconnecting the legs and facing the head.

2. In a garment closure in combination with a slide fastener including a pair of opposed stringers having free top ends, each stringer constituting a tape adapted to be attached to an edge of a garment opening, a bead running along a margin of the tape and a teeth rack'fixed to said bead, a slider received by said teeth racks and movable along a substantially linear path of travel for selectively interlocking and unlocking said teeth racks, and a top stop at the free top ends of the teeth racks for limiting travel of the slider, the improvement of a separable top coupling for selectively connecting the free top ends of the stringers, said coupling being spaced from the top stop and including mating pintle and sleeve elements, and means fixing each of said elements to a different head at adjacent transversely elongated locations, the longitudinal axes of said elements being mutually parallel to said linear path of travel and the-pintle element being selectively insertable into and withdrawable from the sleeve element by movement thereof parallel to said path of travel of the slider, the means fixing the sleeve element to the bead comprising a jaw in one piece with the sleeve element, said jaw including spaced protruding legs gripping the head of the stringer and a stepped web interconnecting the legs and facing the bead.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,932,872 4/1960 Geissmann 24-20511 2,962,725 12/1960 Breslaw 24205.11 X

FOREIGN PATENTS 533,578 2/1941 Great Britain.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

B. A. GELAK, Examiner. 

1. A GARMENT CLOSURE COMPRISING A SLIDE FASTENER AND A SEPARABLE TOP COUPLING, SAID SLIDE FASTENER INCLUDING A PAIR OF OPPOSED STRINGERS HAVING FREE TOP ENDS, EACH STRINGER CONSTITUTING A TAPE ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO AN EDGE OF A GARMENT OPENING, A BEAD RUNNING ALONG A MARGIN OF THE TAPE AND A TEETH RACK FIXED TO SAID BEAD, A SLIDER RECIEVED BY SAID TEETH RACKS AND MOVABLE ALONG A SUBSTANTIALLY LINEAR PATH OF TRAVEL FOR SELECTIVELY INTERLOCKING AND UNLOCKING SAID TEETH RACKS, AND A TOP STOP AT THE FREE TOP ENDS OF THE TEETH RACKS FOR LIMITING TRAVEL OF THE SLIDER, THE COUPLING SELECTIVELY CONNECTING THE FREE TOP ENDS OF THE STRINGERS AND BEING SPACED FROM THE TOP STOP, SAID COUPLING INCLUDING MATING PINTLE AND SLEEVE ELEMENTS, AND MEANS FIXING EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS TO A DIFFERENT BEAD AT ADJACENT TRANSVERSELY REGISTERED LOCATIONS, THE LONGITUDINAL AXES OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING MUTUALLY PARALLEL TO SAID LINEAR PATH OF TRAVEL AND THE PINTLE ELEMENT BEING SELECTIVELY INSERTABLE INTO AND WITHDRAWABLE FROM THE SLEEVE ELEMENT BY MOVEMENT THEREOF PARALLEL TO SAID PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE SLIDER, THE MEANS FIXING THE SLEEVE ELEMENT TO THE BEAD COMPRISING A JAW IN ONE PIECE WITH THE SLEEVE ELEMENT, SAID JAW INCLUDING SPACED PROTRUDING LEGS GRIPPING THE BEAD OF THE STRINGER AND A STEPPED WEB INTERCONNECTING THE LEGS AND FACING THE BEAD. 